Veal Paupiettes

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour - 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

700g veal breast, cut into 6 pieces (or sub with 6 veal escalopes)

150g speck or pancetta, diced into 1cm pieces

2 onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

3 sprigs sage, leaves picked and finely chopped

50g baby spinach

70g (1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs

40g (¼ cup) pine nuts

2 tablespoons sultanas, chopped

20g pecorino, finely grated

250ml (1 cup) white wine, such as chardonnay of sauvignon blanc

60ml (¼ cup) chicken stock

500g mixed truss cherry tomatoes

50g unsalted butter

Salt & pepper

Crusty bread, to serve

Method

Place each piece of the veal between two pieces of baking paper. With a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound to tenderise and flatten into a round thin fillet.

Heat a heavy-based casserole pan over a medium heat and add two tablespoons of oil, speck, onions, garlic and sage. Cook for 4-5 minute to allow the fat to render from the speck and soften the onions. Now add the spinach and cook for a further 2-3 minutes to wilt.

Place the mixture into a bowl and wipe the pan clean. Season with salt and pepper and add the breadcrumbs, pine nuts, sultanas and 2 tablespoons of pecorino. Mix to combine.

Place the veal on a bench and place a tablespoon of the stuffing in the middle. Fold veal over and gather the sides to enclose the stuffing and to form a ball-shape. Tie to fasten. Trim excess twine. Repeat with the remaining veal parcels.

Add the remaining oil to the casserole pan over a medium heat. Sear the veal paupiettes for a few minutes on each side, remove. Then add the butter and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and bring mixture to the boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, once mixture is boiling add the stock return to the boil.

Turn the heat down to low, cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes, basting the paupiettes with the sauce halfway through.

Remove paupiettes and transfer to a plate to remove the string. Increase the heat to high and reduce sauce for 5 minutes or until reduced by 1/3.

Serve the paupiettes in the dish with the reduced sauce, and top with parsley.